Post navigation

Nowadays there is a crazy drive among people to avoid any kidney disease at any cost. You hear all types of stories and things to do before you even get a disease to worry about. And yes, it is a good idea to be preventive and to manage your kidney’s health in a good way but it should be done in the correct way using the correct food and treatment to get the most out of your life without worrying about a kidney related disease.

There are some very common myths out there that maybe you have even heard around in random conversations. And there are many that are not evening this list. This time we give you 5 myths about your kidneys that may give you a new perspective about these organs and how you take care f them.

Water will wash out your toxins

The myth is that if you drink eight glasses of water your body will detox. I am sure that many of us have heard this before from a friend or close relative. In the real world, there is no evidence to back this up and the amount of urine the body produces has nothing to do with the performance of the kidney. The idea that if you have more urine means that the kidneys are working even better is something that maybe was deduced. But it has no relation whatsoever.

We are not saying that water does not help the kidney function well, but it is not directly related to its performance. In places that are very hot, it is better to drink a lot of water because the body tends to use more water than normal. Or if a person has a background of kidney diseases, water can help with the pain in future treatments. But there are no more uses for water in the kidney’s cleansing process.

Calcium causes kidney stones

It is true that kidney stones are made of calcium and that there is a big belief that it is only calcium that causes kidney stones and that is why this myth is so popular. The big losers here are dairy products because people tend to think that they must avoid calcium-rich products. But in the real world, it is not the excess of calcium but the lack of it that affects the body.

The fact is that kidney stones are made from calcium and from oxalate, a substance that is found in vegetables and fruits. Kidney stones are made from these two materials when they get combined. Also, calcium found in natural products is rarely a cause for kidney stones. On the other hand, calcium from supplements does tend to form kidney stones because it does not combine properly with the oxalate and it does not stay in the gut to later be eliminated via feces. Instead, it is eliminated in the urine and here is where kidney stones are helped by calcium to form.

Alcohol and your kidneys

This myth comes from the belief that if you are urinating a lot when you are out partying is a bad sign of kidney overuse. Again, there is no evidence to back this claim up. Maybe a lot of people just confused the fact that the liver is the one that suffers when people drink too much alcohol and not the kidneys.

Or maybe people tend to think that drinking alcohol can affect your kidneys because alcohol dehydrates you in very big and fast ways and dehydration is, in fact, a cause of kidney disease.

It is easy to know when kidneys are suffering and they are not working properly

In fact, it is not easy and not very noticeable when your kidneys are failing. In fact, people don’t notice the disease until it is a bit late to control it or manage it without an operation. People don’t notice the symptoms up until where only 20% of the kidney is working and this is when they start getting the symptom. Urine does not say much about the kidney’s health so it is not trustworthy measurement.

Preventive medicine does not work in kidney diseases

Many people tend to think that kidneys fail for a reason and that it is just impossible to prevent such diseases. The fact is that kidney diseases can be slowed down if patients and people that are at risk understand what is it that elevate their risk factors to the maximum and avoid such things. For example, diabetes and high blood pressure are sure indicators of kidney diseases; old age, smoking cigarettes and obesity are all factors that accelerate the risk of suffering from kidney diseases. Also, a healthy lifestyle plenty of exercise and a good diet is one of the best recipes to prevent kidney diseases.

An experienced health-care services industry executive, Joe Cosgrove serves as the president and CEO of Pentec Health in suburban Philadelphia. In addition to his roles at Pentec Health, Joe Cosgrove is an executive committee member of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce (GPCC).

The GPCC is celebrating the Pennsylvania General Assembly’s passage of HB 1177, which will use increased cigarette taxes to provide additional funds for public schools throughout Pennsylvania. The chamber was a strong supporter of the bill and played a significant role in securing the passage of a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes sold in Philadelphia. It is estimated that the increased tax will generate an additional $80 million for Philadelphia schools every year.

A longtime proponent of education, the GPCC continually advocates for public policy that fosters strong schools and helps establish a well-educated workforce. In addition to its advocacy work, the chamber takes a hands-on approach to improving education by leading an early childhood literacy campaign that helps build children’s reading skills and raises funds to place more books in school libraries.

Peritoneal Dialysis (best-known as PD,) involves the removal of extra waste products from your blood. In this mode of dialysis, unlike other treatments, such as hemodialysis, the process is performed inside the body. This is a point that grabs the attention of many patients suffering from kidney disease, as it offers more practical conveniences. In contrast to hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis is performed every day (just the way the kidneys work), and it is the patient who carries it out.

From the medical point of view, it is an advantage that this procedure is performed every day of the week because the blood stays cleaner and it is actually easier to prevent eventual crises. People do not have to wait to go to the hospital or to connect to the machine at home. All that is needed is a catheter which is inserted into the patient’s belly (and by a rather rapid procedure.)

In reality, there are two types of peritoneal dialysis. The best-known is continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD.) In this case, the catheter is connected to a tube, and through it, a cleaning liquid is introduced to start the waste elimination process, such as salts and excess of water in the blood. The cleansing fluid enters and is installed throughout the patient’s abdomen in less than a quarter of an hour, and then the patient’s abdomen lining begins to filter the disposable substances. At the same time, it retains nutrients and other necessary elements for the proper functioning of the organism. The introduction of the liquid should be performed under conditions of total asepsis, as an infection in these circumstances would be very serious and difficult to treat. In case of poor hygiene, peritonitis may occur. Peritonitis occurs when germs enter the peritoneal cavity through the catheter. It may be treated with antibiotics, but the performance of a treatment is extremely urgent. However, if the patient follows the medical recommendations, he or she will have no problem at all.

The cleansing liquid (dialyzer) is left in the patient’s womb for an average of four hours so that the filtration can be effected smoothly. Obviously, each body is different, and, depending on the physiological characteristics, as well as the level of presence of noxious substances to be filtered, it remains more or less time. This treatment offers a lot of freedom since while the dialysis is taking place the patient can do everything that a normal person would do, without having to sit or lie next to a machine for hours. This is carried out in the most natural way possible: Thanks to gravity. It is not necessary to artificially suck the solution, and the patient simply replaces the liquid by the same procedure as it is mentioned above. When the dialysate has done its work, the solution containing all the residues (normally filtered by a kidney) is drained and expelled. The process is then repeated because the functions of the body do not stop, and it is repeated permanently. Hence, its name.

The other procedure is automatic. In this treatment, the patient connects the catheter to a machine, and this catches up with everything. The patient does not need to perform the exchange of new dialysate per used: It is an automatic process that even offers more freedom to patients. The machine works by cycles, like a washing machine. The patient schedules the machine at night, before going to bed, and the rest of the process is performed while the patient is resting. The interesting thing is that this machine is a totally independent equipment that works without connecting it to the drainage or the electricity. The cycling machine is not large, and, therefore, it is easy to transport, in case the patient should travel and carry it in the luggage. That is certainly another advantage.

It is important to keep in mind that this treatment takes more time (overnight, to be precise.) The patient lies down to sleep, and seven or eight hours later, the machine will have cleaned the whole body. Manual functions in this process are minimal, and, in some cases, simply non-existent.

No matter what your choice is for the peritoneal dialysis procedure when it comes to the number of times the dialysis process is performed per day, it is the very same thing. In both cases, it is permanent. The only difference is that in the first one is done manually, while in the second one it is carried out by a machine. In both procedures, insertion of a catheter into the patient’s belly is necessary, and, again, it is not a complicated operation.

These are very good options for patients with kidney failure and are a sign that it is possible to follow a normal life. I hope this information has been helpful to you, and I hope you share it with your friends, especially those who you know need these treatments.